Threading machine



April 26, 1932.

I R E. VICKERMAN 1,8 5,810

THREADING MACHINE Filed Oct. 16, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

A TTORNEY.

April 19732- R. E. VICKERMAN 1,855,810

' THREADING MACHINE Filed Oct. 16, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 [I I ll CIH/47 l I] I JILC H L 1 INVENTOR.

A TTORNE Y.

Patented Apr. 26, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE ROBERT E. VICKERMAN, OIF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO ACME AXMINISICER LOOM SPOOL COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A COR- PORATION OF NEW YORK THREADING MACHINE Application filed October 16, 1931.

The present invention relates to the art of tuft yarn fabrics and more particularly to a machine for threading tuft yarn into the tuft yarn frames.

In tuft yarn threading machines as heretofore constructed and now in use there exist certain disadvantages in operation which impose limitations affecting production and affecting the life of certain associated parts of 10 the machine. Thus for one thing the numher of needles which can be successfully threaded at a single operation is restricted by the fact that tuft yarn frames of any considerable length are not substantial enough to withstand the action caused by the reciprocation of theneedles in a threading operation. Thus if a frame is twelve feet long it could not be threaded in a single operation on existing machines because the ordinary machine is only about four feet long and therefore necessitates three separate operations to bring about the threading of a twelve foot frame. Conceding that a threading machine twelve feet in length might be constructed to support a twelve foot frame, the simultaneous threading of all of the needles and the pull of the yarn during the threading operation would soon break or so destroy the frame that it would become impossible to use it in a loom.

Someiof the obiects of the present invention are to provide an improved threading machine which will overcome the inherent disadvantages of such machines as now in use; to provide a threading machine which will successfully receive and support any length of tuft yarn frame and allow it to be threaded without impairing in any way the effectiveness of the frame; to provide a threading machine wherein a plurality of tuft yarn frames can be threaded at the same time; to provide a machine for threading tuft yarn wherein the threading operation is a flexible one in so far as the number of needles operating at the same time is con cerned so that the machine can be set and adjusted not only for various grades of yarn but also with respect to the length of the yarn frames; to provide a machine for threading tuft yarn frames which can be set Serial No. 569,218.

to meet different requirements so that in one instance a tuft yarn frame can be threaded in one operation or in a succession ofoperations according to the length of the frame and grade of material; to provide a threading machine capable of wide latitude in use and great flexibility of control; to provide an improved threading reed for a threading machine wherein the yarn strands are effectively controlled; to provide a threading machine wherein the number of needles employed in a threading operation are selectively controlled at will, and to provide other improvements as will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 represents a side elevation, partly broken away, of a tuft yarn threading machine embodying one form of the present invention;.Fig. 2

represents a front elevation of the same;

of the present invention; and Fig. 7 represents a perspective of a portion of the needle-guide comb with the tubes in normal thr ading position.

Referring to the drawings one form of the present invention consists of a suitable frame 10 having its top or bed formed with a longitudinally disposed recess 11 so shaped and arranged as to receive and support the re snective tube frames 12 which are to be threaded. Thus a frame 12 can be placed vertically into the recess 11 with its back abutting a part of the frame 10 and its bottom seating unon the shelf or bottom 13 of the recess while the row of tubes 14 rest against the wall 15 in a vertical plane. To maintain the tube frame 12 stationary during the threading operation a horizontally movable clamping block 16 is slidably mounted upon a suitable cross beam 17 fixed to the frame 10 so that the block 16' can move towards and away from the tubes 14: according as the tubes 14 are to be held tight for a threading operation or are to be released so that the frame 12 can be removed after a threading operation. An operating bar 18 and feed screw 20 permits manual operation of the clamping block 16 as desired.

In order to support and hold a full spool. 21 of yarn parallel to the tube frame 12 so that the yarn strands 22 can be threaded, the frame 10 is provided with vertical ways 23 which guide a spool holder 24. In threading position the holder 24 is in its lowermost position so that the yarn strands 22 extend horizontally in a plane parallel to the top of the frame 10, while in its uppermost position the spool ends are above the frame 10 to allow the threaded tuft frame 12 to be easily attached thereto by the usual clips 25 as will be understood.

For retaining the yarn strands properly spaced and for locating them respectively above the tubes 14, a reed 26 is fixed to the frame 10 and parallels the recess 11 in which the tuft frame 12 is seated in such close proximity that the strands of yarn pass with certainty to their position above the frame tubes 14. This positioning of the yarn strands is made relatively easy because the yarn ends are held by the retaining bar 27 which has been attached at the end of the spool winding operation. This bar 27 is suspended by the yarn strands over the front edge of the machine and holds the strands properly stretched ready for the threading operation.

For the purpose of drawing each strand of yarn through the particular tube 14 to complete a threading of the tube frame. a row of needles 28 having end hooks 30 is mounted upon a vertically reciprocable block or blocks 31 with the respective needles 28 in coaxial relation with the respective tubes 14. Normally the rest position of the needles 28 is with the end hooks 30 below the plane of the bottom of the tubes 14 so that one tube frame can be substituted for another without interfering with or damaging the needles 28. While one block 31 can serveas a support and as a raising and lowering means for the needles 28. 'it is an importantfeature of the present invention to divide the needle mounting into a plurality of the blocks 31 and this subdividing has a direct relation to the commercial size of rugs now being marketed. Since such rugs are now practically standard multiples of nine as regards width. each of the blocks 31 is preferably nine inches long and mounts the number of needles corresponding to the number of threads per inch to be woven into the fabric. Thus with threading machine twelve feet in length the most practical length) there will be sixteen blocks 31 each nine inches in length and the arrangement, as will now be explained, is such that all of the sixteen blocks 31 can be operated in unison, or individually, or alternately, or selectively in any desired way. The blocks 31 are mounted vertically side by side, each being slidably guided in ways 32 formed by suitable parts of the frame 10, and receive vertical reciprocating movement from yokes 33 which are respectively pivoted at one end to hangers 34 and at the other end ride upon cams 35. The hangers 34 are respectively attached to the blocks 31. and project from the bottom of each to provide suitable bearing support for the yokes. A driven shaft 36 serves as a common mounting for the cams 35 which are keyed thereon and rotated in the required manner to carry out the threading operation. As will be apparent the keyed position of any cam 35 determines the rise and fall of the block 31 it controls and consequently all the cams 35 can be set alike to cause all of the blocks 31 to rise and fall in unison. By setting alternate cams 35 opposite to the setting of the remaining cams 35 which are set alike, the result will be a rising motion of one half of the blocks 31 simultaneous with a falling motion of the other half of the blocks 31.

In order to place the respective yarn strands into the downward path of movement of the needle hooks 30 a threading reed 37 of anew and original construction has been devised consisting of a base plate 38 with a vertically attached strip 39 which is subdivided on its upper edge into a plurality of saw teeth 40. The teeth 40 are formed by downwardly converging walls 41 each pair of which communicate respectively with holes 42 passing transversely through the strip 39 and each hole 42 serving to receive and hold one strand of the yarn. The holes 42 are spaced to accord with the number of yarn strands per inch and therefore retain all of the strands in proper parallel spaced relation. The base plate 38 is mounted upon the clamping block 16 for endwise sliding movement, that is a movement parallel to the tube frame 12 and row of needles 28. and preferably has its movement controlled by hand, since it is conveniently located above the frame 10 and can be readily reached by the operator. That face of the strip 39 which faces the row of needles 28 is provided with a V-notch 43 so disposed that its apex is in the horizontal plane of the row of holes 42. This arrangement brings an upwardly and o twardly inclined face 44 above the plane of the yarn strands. and a downwardly and outwardly inclined face 45 below the plane of the yarn strands, so that during a lateral movement of the strip 39 the face 44 ensures each strand of yarn being passed under its book. while the face 45 prevents the strands from disengaging the hooks during the downward or threading movement of the hooks 30.

During the threading operation it is very important that the needles 28 are always maintained respectively alined with the tubes 14 in order that the needles will always enter the proper associated tubes and also to insure that none of the needles can strike the bottom of the tube and become bent or broken. To this end a needle guide comb is fixedly mounted to the frame 10 or other fixed parts carried thereby and parallels the lower end of the tubes without interfering with the com plete upward stroke of the blocks 31. This comb 46 consists of a plurality of relatively thin guide fingers 47 the upper ends of which are received respectively in the spaces between the tubes 14. Preferably also each finger 47 has two side shoulders 48 extending laterally from opposite sides and in the same horizontal plane, which shoulders are of substantially the same width as the thickness of the tube material. Thus in assembled condition and with the tube frame operatively placed in threading position each tube will seat upon two juxtaposed shoulders 48 whereby each needle in its upper movement travels a path formed by two adjacent fingers 47 and has unobstructed entrance to the ends of its tube. Since the fingers extend above the shoulders 48 into the respective spaces between the tubes, the latter are likewise held fixed in accurate threading position.

In the operation of the machine of the present invention the cams 35 are set upon the shaft- 36 in the proper angular positions to carry out a predetermined actuation of the needle unit blocks 31. Thus for example the cams 35 can be set to cause all of the blocks 31 to move in unison so that a simultaneous threading of the entire length of a tube frame takes place in one reciprocation of the blocks. This may be safe and desirable for tube frames which are relatively short in length, or in case the yarn strands are relatively light, but when the tube frame is long, as required for large rugs and carpets, the cams 35 can be set in different angular positions upon the shaft 36, for example, so that certain selected blocks 31 function in unison and according to the length of the tube frame. Thus any selected number of blocks can move upward for simultaneous thread engagement while another selected number of blocks can move downward at the same time to complete a threading operation. In this way the total threading strain upon a frame is broken up or divided into two or more forces exerting but a fraction of the total load upon the tube frame.

When the needles 28 are elevated the hooks 30 are above the horizontal plane of the yarn strands and at this position the slidable reed 37 is manually shifted transversely and parallel to the row of needles 28 so that the respective yarn strands are across the path of the hooks 30. In this position the downward movement of the needles 28 causes the hooks 30 to draw the respective strands 22 through the frame tubes 14 in the required threading operation. As soon as the tubes are threaded the spool 21 is elevated by raising the holder 24 to the position indicated in dotted lines Fig. 1 where the tube frame 12 can be conveniently attached to the spool in the usual manner and the latter removed for use when desired upon a loom.

It will now be apparent that a complete unitary threading machine has been devised wherein provision is made for the threading of tube frames without damage and whereby longer frames can be threaded in one operation than has heretofore been possible. Also the frame of the machine of the present invention is one Which has great flexibility in use because the associated parts thereof can be variably organized and adjusted to meet varying working conditions.

While only a single form is shown in which the invention may be embodied, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to any specific construction, but might be applied to various forms without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A threading machine comprising a support for a tube frame, a plurality of needles for causing yarn strands to be threaded into said frame, and means for actuating said needles in predetermined selected groups.

2. A threading machine comprising a support for a tube frame, a plurality of needles for causing yarn strands to be threaded into said machine, means for mounting said needles in groups each having a predetermined number of needles, and means for causing different groups to carry out a thread ing operation at different times.

3. A threading machine comprising a support for a tube frame, a plurality of needles for causing yarn strands to be threaded into said machine, means for mounting said needles in groups each having a predetermined number of needles, and means whereby said groups can be actuated in unison, independently or in succession at will.

4. A threading machine comprising a support for mounting a tube frame and tubes in a substantially vertical position, a row of needles respectively in co-axial relation with said tubes, .blocks mounting said needles in groups, and means for vertically reciprocating said blocks in a predetermined order.

Signed at Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, this 14th day of October, 1931.

ROBERT E. VICKERMAN. 

